Marlet reaction

Wednesday 29 August 2001

From the Times

FINALLY, it seems that Fulham have got the forward they have been searching for with news that a deal has been struck to bring Steve Marlet to Craven Cottage from Lyons for a club record fee, believed to be about £13 million.

Marlet, 27, was in England yesterday discussing personal terms and undergoing a medical before leaving to join the France squad in Chile, where he hopes to win his fifth cap in a friendly match.

Jean Tigana, the Fulham manager, has been searching all summer for another forward to provide competition for Louis Saha and Barry Hayles and it is no surprise that he has found him in France, although the fee originally seemed likely to provide a stumbling block.

Fulham were willing to break the club record of £7 million, paid earlier this month to Juventus for Edwin van der Sar, the Holland goalkeeper, but their original offer of £10 million was turned down.

Marlet joined Lyons a year ago from Auxerre for £3.7 million and immediately formed a successful forward partnership with Sonny Anderson, scoring 17 goals as the club, who also fielded Steed Malbranque, who joined Fulham earlier this summer, finished as runners-up in the French league and came close to reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

From the BBC

Fulham have broken their transfer record to sign French striker Steve Marlet from Lyon for £11.5m.

The 27-year-old completed his medical in London on Tuesday. He has signed a five-year deal at Craven Cottage.

Cottagers boss Jean Tigana has now taken his spending since Fulham gained promotion to the £40m-mark.

Steve's striking ability will be a valuable asset to our first season in the Premiership

And he said he does not intend to stop using Mohamed Al Fayed's cash just yet. Josep Guardiola, a free agent after walking away from Barcelona in the summer, could be his next acquisition.

Tigana said: "I am pleased to announce that Steve is joining Fulham.

"I have said in the past that it is important for me to strengthen the squad and I believe that Steve's striking ability will be a valuable asset to our first season in the Premiership.

"It is important for the squad to work together to enable us to be successful at the highest level."

Marlet, who jets off for France's weekend friendly in Chile immediately, said: "I am happy to have signed for Fulham.

"It is a very ambitious club and the plans that have been put in place by Mohamed Al Fayed and Jean Tigana to establish Fulham as one of the leading clubs in England, encouraged me to come here."

From SKY

Fulham have smashed their transfer record to sign French international striker Steve Marlet from Lyon for £11.5million.

The 27-year-old completed his medical in London on Tuesday and has signed a five-year deal at The Cottage.

Tigana said: "I have said in the past that it is important for me to strengthen the squad and I believe that Steve's striking ability will be a valuable asset to our first season in the Premiership.

"It is important for the squad to work together to enable us to be successful at the highest level."

Marlet, who will join the French squad for a friendly in Chile this week, said: "I am happy to have signed for Fulham.

"It is a very ambitious club and the plans that have been put in place by Mohamed Al Fayed and Jean Tigana to establish Fulham as one of the leading clubs in England, encouraged me to come here."

Marlet, who scored 17 goals for the French league runners-up last season, only joined Lyons 12 months ago for £3.7m from Auxerre.

He will link up with former Lyon teammate Steed Malbranque on the banks of the Thames.

The move ends Tigana's protracted hunt for a new striker, with a minibus load of players - from Jan Koller to Frederic Kanoute - being linked with a move to SW6.

The deal takes the club's spending in the trasnfer market in the last year to £40.5 million.

From One Football.Com

Lyon expect to complete the signing of France international Eric Carriere on Wednesday morning after agreeing the sale of striker Steve Marlet to Fulham for £11.5 million on Tuesday.

"I am happy to announce that Steve has signed for Fulham," Fulham manager Jean Tigana said.

"I have said we need to strengthen the squad and I think that Steve's striking ability will be an important asset during our first season in the Premiership."

Marlet signed a five-year deal in London on Tuesday after jetting out for medical earlier in the day.

The 27 year old, who has scored once for France and is in Roger Lemerre's squad to face Chile later this week, is looking forward to the challenge of playing in England.

"I am happy to have signed for Fulham," he said. "It is a very ambitious club and [owener] Mohamed Al Fayed and Jean Tigana's plans to make Fulham one of the leading clubs in England, played a big part in me coming here."

Lyon coach Jacques Santini was desperate to keep the France striker, but the French club could not refuse Fulham's offer - ensuring the club a £9.2 million profit in one year on the player they bought for £3.8 million from Auxerre.

Tigana has now spent £40 million since leading Fulham to promotion. The arrival of Marlet shattered Fulham's previous transfer record of £7 million paid to Juventus for keeper Edwin van der Sar.

Lyon, meanwhile, have moved quickly to put the money to use, announcing that the sale of Marlet and the release of wantaway winger Vikash Dhorasoo to Bordeaux had freed up funds to complete the £7.5 million transfer of Nantes midfielder Eric Carriere who signed for the club on Tuesday subject to a medical.

"The France international will arrive on Tuesday evening in Lyon where he will undergo a medical on Wednesday morning," read a statement issued by the club. "The transfer should then be made official in the middle of the day."

Carriere, who was voted player of the year in France last season, won his first France cap during the Confederations Cup earlier this summer, prompting Lyon to step up their bid to prize the highly-rated midfielder away from the French champions.